Robotic surgery system

ABSTRACT

A robotic surgery system includes a control unit assembly that supports and operates one or more robotic tools and a mechanical arm assembly that movably supports the control unit assembly in space. The mechanical arm assembly includes a boom assembly with one or more boom arms rotatably coupled to each other via one or more joints and having one or more actuators. An elevating linkage assembly is coupled to the boom assembly and has an actuator operable to allow vertical movement of the control unit assembly in a substantially weightless manner. Yaw and pitch control assemblies are interposed between the elevating linkage assembly and the control unit assembly and have actuators operable to allow movement of the control unit assembly in yaw and pitch. The one or more actuators are actuatable to allow movement of the control unit assembly in space upon actuation of one or more user interfaces of the control unit assembly.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE TO ANY PRIORITY APPLICATIONS

Any and all applications for which a foreign or domestic priority claimis identified in the Application Data Sheet as filed with the presentapplication are hereby incorporated by reference under 37 CFR 1.57.

BACKGROUND Field

The present disclosure generally relates to robotic surgical systems,and more particularly to mechanisms for moving a mechanical arm assemblyand control unit assembly of a robotic surgical system.

Description of the Related Art

Robotic surgery systems generally include an operator interface thatreceives operator input from a surgeon and causes correspondingmovements of surgical tools within a body cavity of a patient to performa surgical procedure. The operator interface can be on a workstationthat the surgeon interfaces with to perform a surgical procedure usingthe surgical tools. The surgical tools can be on a cart separate fromthe workstation. The cart can be mobile, allowing hospital staff to movethe cart into an operating room prior to the surgical procedure, and toremove it from the operating room once the surgical procedure has beencompleted.

SUMMARY

In accordance with one aspect of the disclosure, a robotic surgicalsystem is provided with a control unit assembly that supports andoperates one or more robotic tools and a mechanical arm assembly thatmovably supports the control unit assembly in space. The mechanical armassembly selectively allows movement of the control unit assembly inspace (e.g., in a space defined by Cartesian coordinates, as well as inpitch and yaw) upon actuation of one or more actuators of the mechanicalarm assembly to allow manual movement of the control unit assembly.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a robotic surgicalsystem is provided with a control unit assembly that supports andoperates one or more robotic tools and a mechanical arm assembly thatmovably supports the control unit assembly in space. The mechanical armassembly selectively allows movement of the control unit assembly inspace (e.g., in a space defined by Cartesian coordinates, as well as inpitch and yaw) upon actuation of one or more brakes (e.g.,electromagnetic brakes) of the mechanical arm assembly to allow manualmovement of the control unit assembly.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, manual movement ofthe control unit assembly is effected by an operator by engaging one ormore (e.g., at least two) user interfaces on the control unit assemblyto unlock movement of the control unit assembly in space. Optionally,the user interfaces are depressible buttons. In another implementation,the user interfaces are tactile sensors. Optionally, one or more of theuser interfaces are disposed at or proximate corners of the control unitassembly.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a boom assembly ofthe mechanical arm assembly can include one or more boom arms pivotablerelative to each other about a joint, and have an actuator (e.g., brake)disposed about an axis of the joint. The actuator is operable to allowor disallow relative movement of the one or more boom arms.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, an elevatinglinkage assembly of the mechanical arm assembly selectively allowsvertical movement of the control unit assembly in a substantiallyweightless manner via movement of a pylon that is counterbalanced bycompression of a spring. The pylon and spring are coupled by a cablethat extends over and engages a pulley such that a weight exerted on thepylon by the control unit assembly is substantially equal to the springcompression force.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a yaw controlassembly of the mechanical arm assembly selectively allows movement ofthe control unit assembly in a yaw direction, and has an actuator (e.g.,brake) disposed about an axis of the yaw control assembly. The actuatoris operable to allow or disallow movement of the control unit assemblyin yaw.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a pitch controlassembly of the mechanical arm assembly selectively allows movement ofthe control unit assembly in a pitch direction, and has one or moreactuators (e.g., brakes) disposed about an axis of the pitch controlassembly, the actuator(s) being operable to allow or disallow movementof the control unit assembly in pitch.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, the control unitassembly has a counterbalance assembly operatively coupled to the pitchcontrol assembly to counterbalance at least a portion of the weight ofthe control unit assembly when it is moved in a pitch direction to allowpitch movement in a weightless manner.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a robotic surgerysystem is provided. The system comprises a control unit assemblyconfigured to support and operate one or more robotic tools, and amechanical arm assembly configured to movably support the control unitassembly in space. The mechanical arm assembly comprises a pillarassembly extending along a first axis, and a boom assembly movablycoupled to the pillar assembly and extending generally perpendicular tothe first axis. The boom assembly comprises a proximal boom armrotatably coupled to the pillar assembly via a first joint and a distalboom arm rotatably coupled to the proximal boom arm via a second joint,and one or more brakes arranged about one or both of the first andsecond joints. The mechanical arm assembly also comprises an elevatinglinkage assembly coupled to the distal boom arm and extending along asecond axis generally parallel to the first axis. The elevating linkageassembly is disposed above and operatively coupled to the control unitassembly. The elevating linkage assembly comprises a brake operable toallow vertical movement of the control unit assembly relative to theboom assembly in a substantially weightless manner. The mechanical armassembly also comprises a pitch and yaw assembly disposed between thecontrol unit assembly and the elevating linkage assembly and configuredto allow movement of the control unit assembly in one or both of a pitchdirection and a yaw direction. The pitch and yaw assembly comprises oneor more brakes operable to substantially brake movement of the controlunit assembly in one or both of pitch and yaw. One or more of the brakesin the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yawassembly are actuatable between an unlocked position and a lockedposition, wherein the unlocked position allows an operator to manuallychange one or both of a position and an orientation of the control unitassembly in space, and wherein the locked position fixes the positionand orientation of the control unit assembly in space.

In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a robotic surgerysystem is provided. The system comprises a control unit assemblyconfigured to support and operate one or more robotic tools, and amechanical arm assembly configured to movably support the control unitassembly in space. The mechanical arm assembly comprises a boom assemblycomprising one or more boom arms rotatably coupled to each other via oneor more joints, one or more actuators being arranged about the one ormore joints and operable to allow movement of the one or more boom arms.The mechanical arm assembly also comprises an elevating linkage assemblycoupled to the boom assembly and extending along an axis generallyperpendicular to the boom assembly. The elevating linkage assembly isdisposed above the control unit assembly and comprises an actuatoroperable to allow movement of the control unit assembly along the axisand relative to the boom assembly in a substantially weightless manner.The mechanical arm assembly also comprises a yaw control assemblydisposed below the elevating linkage assembly and above the control unitassembly, the yaw control assembly comprising an actuator operable toallow movement of the control unit assembly in a yaw direction. Themechanical arm assembly also comprises a pitch control assembly disposedbelow the elevating linkage assembly and above the control unitassembly, the pitch control assembly comprising one or more actuatorsoperable to allow movement of the control unit assembly in a pitchdirection. One or more of the actuators in the boom assembly, elevatinglinkage assembly, yaw control assembly and pitch control assembly areactuatable to allow a change in one or both of a position and anorientation of the control unit assembly in space upon actuation of twoor more user interfaces of the control unit assembly. One or more of theactuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yaw controlassembly and pitch control assembly lock one or both of the position andthe orientation of the control unit assembly when the user interfacesare not engaged.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a robotic surgery system.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a boom arm assembly and controlunit assembly of the robotic surgical system.

FIG. 3 is a perspective assembled view of a portion of the boomassembly.

FIG. 4 is perspective exploded view of the boom assembly in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a portion of the boom assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the boom assembly of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional side view of the boom arm assembly includingthe boom assembly of FIG. 3 and an elevating linkage assembly.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an elevating linkage assembly of theboom arm assembly.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the elevating linkage assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the elevating linkage assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11A is a perspective view of a variable cam of the elevatinglinkage assembly of FIG. 8.

FIG. 11B is a front view of the variable cam of FIG. 11A.

FIG. 12 is a partial side view of the elevating linkage assembly of FIG.8.

FIG. 13 is a partial rear view of the elevating linkage assembly of FIG.8.

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a control unit assembly of the roboticsurgical system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the control unit assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a perspective exploded view of the control unit assembly ofFIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is a side view of the control unit assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18A is a perspective assembled view of a yaw control assembly ofthe control unit assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 18B is a perspective exploded view of the yaw control assembly ofFIG. 18A.

FIG. 18C is a cross-sectional view of the yaw control assembly of FIG.18A.

FIG. 19A is a perspective assembled view of a pitch control assembly ofthe control unit assembly of FIG. 15.

FIG. 19B is a perspective exploded view of the pitch control assembly ofFIG. 19A.

FIG. 19C is a cross-sectional view of the pitch control assembly of FIG.19A.

FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a counter balance assembly of thecontrol unit assembly of FIG. 15.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Overview of Robotic Surgery System

FIG. 1 illustrates a robotic surgery system 1000. The robotic surgerysystem 1000 includes a workstation 102 and an instrument station or apatient cart 104. The patient cart 104 includes a boom arm assembly 200,elevating linkage assembly 300 and control unit assembly 400. At leastone tool is mountable on the moveable instrument mount, control unit ordrive unit 400 that houses an instrument drive (not shown) formanipulating the tool. The tool may include an insertion device 108 thatcan support at least one surgical instrument (hereinafter to beinterchangeably used with an “instrument” or “surgical tool”) and acamera (not shown) that images a surgical site. The workstation 102 mayalso include a tool such as an instrument clutch (that may optionally beimplemented by a foot pedal described below). The insertion device 108can optionally support two or more instruments (not shown). The cameramay optionally include a primary camera and at least one secondarycamera. The primary camera and the secondary camera may providedifferent viewing angles, perform different functions and/or producedifferent images. At least one of the primary camera and the secondarycamera may optionally be a two-dimensional (2D) or a three-dimensional(3D) camera. FIG. 1 is merely an example of a robotic surgery system,and certain elements may be removed, other elements added, two or moreelements combined, or one element can be separated into multipleelements depending on the specification and requirements of the roboticsurgery system.

The workstation 102 includes an input device for use by a user (forexample, a surgeon; hereinafter to be interchangeably used with an“operator”) for controlling the instrument via the instrument drive toperform surgical operations on a patient. The input device mayoptionally be implemented using a haptic interface device available fromForce Dimension, of Switzerland, for example. The input deviceoptionally includes a right input device 132 and a left input device 112for controlling respective right and left instruments (not shown). Theright input device 132 includes a right hand controller 122 (hereinafterto be interchangeably used with a “hand grip” or “handpiece”) and theleft input device 112 includes a left hand controller 124. The right andleft hand controllers 122 and 124 may optionally be mechanically orelectrically coupled to the respective input devices 132 and 112.Alternatively, the right and left hand controllers 122 and 124 may bewirelessly coupled to the respective input devices 132 and 112 or may bewireless coupled directly to the workstation 102. In some cases, whenthere are two instruments at the instrument station 104, the right andleft hand controllers 122 and 124 may respectively control the twoinstruments. In some cases, when there are more than two instruments,the right and left hand controllers 122 and 124 may be used to selecttwo of the multiple instruments that an operator wishes to use. In somecases, when there is only one instrument, one of the right and left handcontrollers 122 and 124 may be used to select the single instrument.

The input devices 132 and 112 may generate input signals representingpositions of the hand controllers 122 and 124 within an input deviceworkspace (not shown). In some cases where the input devices 132 and 112are coupled directly and wirelessly to the workstation, they wouldinclude the necessary sensors to allow wireless control such as anaccelerometer, a gyroscope and/or magnetometer. In other cases, awireless connection of the input devices 132 and 112 to the workstation102 may be accomplished by the use of camera systems alone or incombination with the described sensors. The afore described sensors forwireless functionality may also be placed in each handpiece to be usedin conjunction with the input devices 132 and 112 to independentlyverify the input device data. The workstation 102 also includes aworkstation processor circuit 114, which is in communication with theinput devices 132 and 112 for receiving the input signals.

The workstation 102 also includes a display 120 in communication withthe workstation processor circuit 114 for displaying real time imagesand/or other graphical depictions of a surgical site produced by thecamera associated with the instrument. The workstation 102 mayoptionally include right and left graphical depictions (not shown)displayed on the display 120 respectively for the right and left sideinstruments (not shown). The graphical depictions may optionally bedisplayed at a peripheral region of the display 120 to prevent obscuringa live view of the surgical workspace also displayed on the display. Thedisplay 120 may further be operable to provide other visual feedbackand/or instructions to the user. A second auxiliary display 123 may beutilized to display auxiliary surgical information to the user(surgeon), displaying, for example, patient medical charts andpre-operation images. In some cases, the auxiliary display 123 may be atouch display and may also be configured to display graphicsrepresenting additional inputs for controlling the workstation 102and/or the patient cart 104. The workstation 102 further includes afootswitch or foot pedal 126, which is actuatable by the user to provideinput signals to the workstation processor circuit 114. In one case, thesignal provided to the workstation processor circuit 114 may inhibitmovement of the instrument while the footswitch 126 is depressed.

The patient cart 104 includes an instrument processor circuit 118 forcontrolling the central unit 400, insertion device 108, one or moreinstruments and/or one or more cameras. In such case, the instrumentprocessor circuit 118 is in communication with the workstation processorcircuit 114 via an interface cable 116 for transmitting signals betweenthe workstation processor circuit 114 and the instrument processorcircuit 118. In some cases, communication between the workstationprocessor circuit 114 and the processor circuit 118 may be wireless orvia a computer network, and the workstation 102 may even be locatedremotely from the patient cart 104. Input signals are generated by theright and left input devices 132 and 112 in response to movement of thehand controllers 122 and 124 by the user within the input deviceworkspace and the instrument is spatially positioned in a surgicalworkspace in response to the input signals.

Additional details of the robotic surgery system 1000 are described inU.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/174,646 filed on Oct. 30, 2018, theentirety of which is hereby incorporated by references and should beconsidered a part of this specification.

Boom Assembly

FIGS. 2-7 illustrates a boom arm assembly 200 of the robotic surgerysystem 100. The boom arm assembly 200 can include a boom assembly BA andan elevational linkage assembly 300 and couple to the control unitassembly 400.

With reference to FIG. 2, the boom arm assembly 200 includes a supportbase 210, a lower pillar 220 attached to the support base 210 and anupper pillar 230 movably coupled to the lower pillar 220. In oneimplementation, the upper pillar 230 can telescopingly extend relativeto the lower pillar 220. Optionally, the upper pillar 230 can have acircular cross-section and extend within an inner perimeter of the lowerpillar 220 that has a circular cross-section. Optionally, the upperpillar 230 can have an outer diameter 231 that is smaller than the outerdiameter 221 of the lower pillar 220. The outer diameter 231 isoptionally smaller than an inner diameter 222 of the lower pillar 220,such that the lower pillar 220 overlaps at least a portion of the upperpillar 230. Optionally, the upper pillar 230 has a measurement scale toidentify the height of the boom arm assembly 200 (e.g., relative to asupport base under the patient cart 104). In another implementation, theupper pillar 230 has an outer diameter 231 that is larger than the outerdiameter 221 of the lower pillar 220. In another implementation, theouter diameter 221 of the lower pillar 220 is optionally smaller than aninner diameter 222 of the upper pillar 230. The support base 210 can bemounted or coupled to, disposed in or otherwise supported on or in thepatient cart 104.

In one implementation, the upper pillar 230 can be manually moved (e.g.,extended upward, moved downward) relative to the lower pillar 220. Forexample, as further described below, an operator (e.g., surgicalassistant) can move the upper pillar 230 up or down relative to thelower pillar with their hands (e.g., by pressing on actuator buttons,such as on the control unit assembly 400). In particular, movement ofthe upper pillar 230 relative to the lower pillar 220 is not effected bya motor (e.g., electric motor). In another implementation, movement ofthe upper pillar 230 relative to the lower pillar 220 can be effected bya motor (e.g., by an electric motor).

With continued reference to FIG. 2, the boom arm assembly 200 includes aboom assembly BA with a proximal boom arm 240 and a distal boom arm 260.The proximal boom arm 240 is movably coupled to an upper portion 234 ofthe upper pillar 230, and the distal boom arm 260 is movably coupled tothe proximal boom arm 240 at one end and coupled to the elevatinglinkage assembly 300 at its other end.

FIGS. 3-6 show the boom assembly BA, and FIG. 7 shows the boom assemblyBA coupled to the elevating linkage assembly 300. The proximal boom arm240 has a boom arm body 242 that extends between a proximal end 241 anda distal end 243. The proximal end 241 of the boom arm body 242 has arecess 242A that optionally receives at least a portion of a brakehousing 249 (e.g., a proximal brake housing). The brake housing 249 canoptionally couple to and/or be disposed in the upper portion 234 of theupper pillar 230.

With reference to FIGS. 4 and 6, the boom assembly BA can include aproximal shaft 247 with a flange 248 attached to an end of the shaft247. The flange 248 can extend into the recess 242A of the boom arm body242 and be coupled or attached to the boom arm body 242 by one or morefasteners (e.g., bolts) 245. The proximal shaft 247 can have a bore oropening 247A that extends along an axis Y. Optionally, the bore 247A iscoaxial with an opening 244 of the boom arm body 242 when the flange 248is disposed in the recess 242A and attached to the boom arm body 242.The shaft 247 extends through the brake housing 249 so that the flange248 is interposed between at least a portion of the brake housing 249and at least a portion of the boom arm body 242. A distal end of theshaft 247 extends through a base plate 251 attached to the brake housing249 with one or more fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts) 252.

The brake housing 249 houses one or more electromagnetic brakes 250. Asshown in FIGS. 4 and 6, in one implementation, the brake housing 249houses a pair of electromagnetic brakes 250 (e.g., a double-stackpermanent electromagnet brakes) actuatable via electrical connections250C, as discussed further below. Advantageously, the use of the pair ofelectromagnetic brakes 250 allows the diameter of the brakes 250 (andtherefore the diameter of the housing 249) to be smaller, as well as toaccount for the longer lever arm of the boom assembly BA from thelocation of the brakes 250 (e.g., to provide sufficient torque to brakethe boom assembly BA). In another implementation, the one or moreelectromagnetic brakes 250 can be a single electromagnetic brake. Instill another implementation, the one or more electromagnetic brakes 250can be replaced with an electric motor actuatable to move and/or lockthe proximal boom arm body 242 relative to the patient cart 104 (e.g.,relative to the upper pillar 230).

The proximal shaft 247 extends through the electromagnetic brake(s) 250.The electromagnetic brake(s) 250 have a stator 250A and a rotor 250B.The proximal shaft 247 is coupled to the rotor 250B, so as to movetogether. In one implementation, the proximal shaft 247 is keyed to therotor 250B via one or more splines 247C1, 247C2 that extend into slotsin the rotor(s) 250B. With reference to FIG. 6, the brake housing 249can include one or more bearings 249A (e.g., tapered bearings) disposedabout at least a portion of the flange 248 to allow the flange 248 torotate (along with the boom arm body 242 and proximal shaft 247)relative to the brake housing 249. Additionally, the base plate 251 caninclude one or more bearings 251A (e.g., tapered bearings) disposedabout at least a portion of the proximal shaft 247 to allow the proximalshaft 247 to rotate relative to the base plate 251.

A locking ring 251B can be attached (e.g., threadably coupled) to adistal end 247B of the proximal shaft 247, so that the base plate 251 isinterposed between the locking ring 251B and the housing 249. Theproximal shaft 247 allows the proximal boom arm body 242 to rotaterelative to the patient cart 104 (e.g., relative to the upper pillar230) when the brake(s) 250 are unlocked (e.g., when the electromagneticbrake is turned off). When the brake(s) 250 are locked (e.g., when theelectromagnetic brake is turned on), the proximal shaft 247 (andattached flange 248 and proximal boom arm body 242) is inhibited (e.g.,prevented) from rotating relative to the patient cart 104 (e.g.,relative to the upper pillar 230), thereby substantially fixing theposition in space (e.g., orientation) of the proximal boom arm body 242relative to the patient cart 104 (e.g., relative to the upper pillar230).

With reference to FIGS. 3-6, the proximal boom arm body 242 has a hub246 at or near the distal 243 of the boom arm body 242. The hub 246 canhave a recessed portion 246A sized to receive at least a portion of anelectromagnetic brake 253 therein, the electromagnetic brake 253actuatable via electrical contact(s) 253C, as further described below. Abase plate 254 can be attached to the hub 246 by one or more fasteners(e.g., screws, bolts) 255 to enclose the electromagnetic brake 253 inthe hub 246.

The distal boom arm 260 can have a boom arm body 262 and extend betweena proximal end 261 and a distal end 263. The boom arm body 262 can havea recessed portion 262A and an opening 264 in the proximal end 261. Theboom assembly BA can include a distal shaft 266 with a flange 267attached to an end of the shaft 266. The flange 267 can extend into therecess 262A of the boom arm body 262 and be coupled or attached to theboom arm body 262 by one or more fasteners (e.g., bolts) 265. The distalshaft 266 can have a bore or opening 266A that extends along an axis Y2.Optionally, the bore 266A is coaxial with an opening 264 of the boom armbody 262 when the flange 267 is disposed in the recess 262A and attachedto the boom arm body 262. The shaft 266 extends through the hub 246 sothat the flange 267 is interposed between at least a portion of the hub246 and at least a portion of the boom arm body 262. A distal end of theshaft 266 extends through the base plate 254 attached to the hub 246.

With continued reference to FIGS. 4-6, the distal shaft 266 extendsthrough the electromagnetic brake 253. The electromagnetic brake 253have a stator 253A and a rotor 253B. The distal shaft 266 is coupled tothe rotor 253B, so as to move together. In one implementation, theproximal shaft 266 is keyed to the rotor 253B via one or more splines266C that extend into one or more slots in the rotor 253B. The hub 246can include one or more bearings 246B (e.g., tapered bearings) disposedabout at least a portion of the flange 267 to allow the flange 267 torotate (along with the boom arm body 262) relative to the hub 246 (andthe proximal boom arm 240). Additionally, the base plate 254 can includeone or more bearings 254A (e.g., tapered bearings) disposed about atleast a portion of the distal shaft 266 to allow the distal shaft 266 torotate relative to the base plate 254.

A locking ring 254B can be attached (e.g., threadably coupled) to adistal end 266B of the distal shaft 266, so that the base plate 254 isinterposed between the locking ring 254B and the hub 246. The distalshaft 266 allows the distal boom arm body 262 to rotate relative to theproximal boom arm body 242 when the brake 253 is unlocked (e.g., whenthe electromagnetic brake is turned off). When the brake 253 is locked(e.g., when the electromagnetic brake is turned on), the distal shaft266 (and attached flange 267 and distal boom arm body 262) is inhibited(e.g., prevented) from rotating relative to the proximal boom arm body242, thereby substantially fixing the position in space (e.g.,orientation) of the distal boom arm body 262 relative to the proximalboom arm body 242. In another implementation, the electromagnetic brake253 can be replaced with an electric motor actuatable to move and/orlock the distal boom arm body 262 relative to the proximal boom arm body242.

As shown in FIG. 6, the distal boom arm 260 extends along a plane P1generally parallel to a plane P2 along which the proximal boom arm 240extends, with the distal boom arm 260 disposed above the proximal boomarm 240 (e.g., vertically above, relative to a support surface S underthe patient cart 104). Additionally, in one implementation the distalboom arm 260 has a length L1 that is longer than a length L2 of theproximal boom arm 240, advantageously allowing the distal boom arm 260to be rotated so that the distal boom arm 260 extends over an entirelength of the proximal boom arm 240 (e.g., when viewed from above thedistal boom arm 260, relative to the support surface S under the patientcart 104) and so that the distal end 263 of the distal boom arm 260protrudes proximally of the proximal end 241 of the proximal boom arm240. This can allow the boom arm assembly 200 to be moved into a compactretracted position (e.g., for storage). In one implementation, theproximal and distal boom arm bodies 242, 262 can have fixed lengths(e.g., each of the proximal and distal boom arms 240, 260 be asingle-piece or monolithic with a fixed length). In anotherimplementation, one or both of the proximal and distal boom arm bodies242, 262 can have an adjustable length (e.g., a first portion thattelescopingly moves relative to another portion).

Optionally, rotation of the proximal boom arm body 242 relative to thehousing 249 can be limited (e.g., to less than 360 degrees); forexample, as best shown in FIG. 6, a stop S1 attached to the proximalboom arm body 242 can engage (e.g., contact) at least a portion of thehousing 249 to inhibit (e.g., prevent) further rotation of the proximalboom arm body 242 relative to the housing 249. Similarly, rotation ofthe distal boom arm body 262 relative to the proximal boom arm body 242can optionally be limited (e.g., to less than 360 degrees); for example,as best shown in FIG. 6, a stop S2 attached to the distal boom arm body262 can engage (e.g., contact) at least a portion of the hub 246 toinhibit (e.g., prevent) further rotation of the distal boom arm body 262relative to the proximal boom arm body 242. In one implementation, theproximal boom arm body 242 can rotate about the housing 249 over anangular range of about 350 degrees, in one example an angular range ofabout 310 degrees (e.g. ±155 degrees). In one implementation, the distalboom arm body 262 can rotate about the hub 246 over an angular range ofabout 350 degrees, in one example an angular range of about 330 degrees(e.g., ±165 degrees).

In another implementation, the distal boom arm 260 extends along aparallel plane relative to the proximal boom arm 240, with the distalboom arm 260 disposed below the proximal boom arm 240 (e.g., verticallybelow, relative to a support surface S under the patient cart 104). Inanother implementation, the proximal boom arm 240 can be longer than thedistal boom arm 260, and the distal boom arm 260 be rotatable so thatproximal boom arm 240 extends over at least a portion of the length ofthe distal boom arm 260 (e.g., when viewed from above the proximal boomarm 240, relative to the support surface S under the patient cart 104),to allow the boom arm assembly 200 to be moved into a compact retractedposition (e.g., for storage).

Advantageously, the electromagnetic brake 253 is actuatable to lock thedistal boom arm 260 relative to the proximal boom arm 240 (e.g., in aparticular angular orientation), and the electromagnetic brake(s) 250are actuatable to lock the proximal boom arm 240 relative to the upperpillar 230. Advantageously, the electromagnetic brakes 250, 253 operateto lock when under zero power; therefore, in the event the roboticsurgical system 1000 experiences a loss of power (e.g., due to a poweroutage), the electromagnetic brakes 250, 253 would automatically lockthe orientation of the proximal and distal boom arms 240, 260.Additionally, the electromagnetic brakes 250, 253 allow for reduced(e.g., minimal, approximately zero) backlash or impact load between oneor more of the proximal and distal boom arms 240, 260 and the upperpillar 230 when one or more of the brakes 250, 253 are engaged, therebyadvantageously improving the accuracy in setting the orientation of theproximal and distal boom arms 240, 260.

As further described below, in one implementation the electromagneticbrakes 250, 253 can be unlocked (e.g., to allow the proximal and distalboom arms 240, 260 to move relative to each other and relative to theupper pillar 230) when one or more Deadman switches are actuated (e.g.,pressed) by an operator, allowing power to be provided to the brakes250, 253 via the electrical contacts 249A, 253C. When the one or moreDeadman switches are disengaged by the operator (e.g., not pressed, nottouched or otherwise not engaged by the operator), the brakes 240, 260automatically engage (e.g., lock) to inhibit (e.g., prevent) rotation ofthe proximal and distal boom arms 240, 260 relative to each other andrelative to the upper pillar 230 and/or patient cart 104.

Advantageously, cabling (e.g., electrical cabling, power/data cabling) Ccan be routed through one or more of the lower pillar 220, upper pillar230, proximal boom arm 240, and distal boom arm 260 to thereby make theboom arm assembly 200 less obtrusive and inhibit (e.g., prevent)inadvertent entanglement of the cabling (e.g., with an operator, otherdevices in the operating room) during use. As illustrated in FIGS. 3-7,the cabling C can be routed through the bore 247A of the proximal shaft247, via one or more openings 242B in the proximal boom arm body 242,through the bore 266A of the distal shaft 266 and along the distal boomarm body 262 to the elevating linkage assembly 300 and finally to thecontrol unit assembly 400 as further discussed below. The cabling C canhave sufficient slack to allow for the rotation of the proximal anddistal boom arms 240, 260 relative to each other and relative to theupper pillar 130 and/or patient cart 104 without unduly tensioning ofthe cabling C. Advantageously, routing the cabling C through the bores247A, 266A of the proximal and distal shafts 247, 266 (e.g., along therotational axes of the proximal and distal boom arms 240, 260) allowsthe proximal and distal boom arms 240, 260 to rotate (when the brakes250, 253 are unlocked) without causing the entanglement of the cablingC.

Elevating Linkage Assembly

FIGS. 7-13 illustrate the elevating linkage assembly 300. The elevatinglinkage assembly 300 has a mounting plate 302 via which it couples tothe distal end 263 of the distal boom arm body 262, as shown in FIG. 7.The elevating linkage assembly 300 supports the control unit assembly400 as shown in FIGS. 1-2 via a mounting flange 320 (e.g., with one ormore bolts). Advantageously, the elevating linkage assembly 300 providesa counterbalance to the control unit assembly 400 (e.g., force from thecontrol unit assembly 400 can be approximately the same as the forcefrom a spring 310, as shown in FIG. 10), facilitating the verticaladjustment (e.g., manually raising and manually lowering) of the controlunit assembly 400 (e.g., relative to the boom arm BA) by an operatorwithout the operator having to support the full weight of the controlunit assembly 400. In one implementation, the elevating linkage assembly300 provides a counterbalance to the control unit assembly 400 thatallows the operator to manually raise and lower the control unitassembly 400 in a weightless manner.

The elevating linkage assembly 300 has a frame 304, to which themounting plate 302 is attached, and a cam 306 rotatably coupled to theframe 304. A support pylon 305 is movably coupled to the frame 304. Thesupport pylon 305 couples to the mounting flange 320 that in turncouples to the control unit assembly 400. A cable 308 couples to thesupport pylon 305 at one end 308A of the cable 308 (e.g., via a shoulderpin 309) and wraps around at least a portion of the cam 306.

The elevating linkage assembly 300 includes a spring 310 (e.g., acompression spring, a cylindrical coil spring) enclosed in a cylinder312 that extends between a proximal end cap 312A (e.g., that engages orcontacts a proximal end of the spring 310) and a distal end cap 312B. Inone implementation, the spring 310 can have a length of approximately 1foot when in an extended state (e.g., to fit in a compact cylinder 312).However, the spring 310 can have other suitable lengths. The spring 310can be compressed between the proximal end cap 312A of the cylinder 312and a movable platform 313 (e.g., that can slide within the cylinder andcontacts a distal end of the spring 310). The cable 208 that wrapsaround at least a portion of the cam 306 enters the cylinder 312 throughan opening 312C in the proximal end cap 312A, extends through the spring310 (e.g., through a central passage in the coil spring 310) and couplesto the movable platform 313 at a distal end 308B of the cable 308.

The support pylon 305 can have one or more rails 314 (e.g., liner rails)on one side (e.g., attached and/or formed on one side) thereof. Therail(s) 314 can travel (e.g., slide) within corresponding runnerblock(s) 315 attached to the frame 304 to allow for smooth verticalactuation of the support pylon 305. The support pylon 305 can have oneor more rack(s) 316 (e.g. a linear gear rack) on one side (e.g.,attached and/or formed on one side) thereof. The rack(s) 316 can engagea pinion gear 317 (see FIG. 12) that is rotatably coupled to the frame304 (e.g., via a shaft or axle 319 that extends across opposite plates304A, 304B of the frame 304).

The elevating linkage assembly 300 also includes a brake 318. In oneimplementation, the brake 318 can be an electromagnetic brake 318. Thebrake 318 can be coupled to the frame 304 and coupled to the axle 319(e.g., in a keyed or spline connection). When in the unlocked position(e.g., when the electromagnet is powered) the elevating linkage assembly300 can allow movement (e.g., vertical or axial movement) of the supportpylon 305 relative to the frame 304 to thereby allow movement (e.g.,raising or lowering) of the control unit assembly 400. When in thelocked position (e.g. when the electromagnet is not powered or off) theelevating linkage assembly 300 can inhibit (e.g., prevent, lock)movement of the support pylon 305, thereby locking the vertical positionof the control unit assembly 400. As shown in FIG. 13, the elevatinglinkage assembly 300 can also have a cable management member 322 (e.g.,cable management tray) can engage the cable C to maintain it in anordered manner (e.g., inhibit its tangling) as it passes from the distalboom arm body 262, through the elevating linkage assembly 300 and to thecontrol unit assembly 400.

With reference to FIGS. 11A-11B, the cam 306 can have a first cam body306A with a variable radius R1 and a second cam body 306B with aconstant radius R2 measured from a bore 306C that defines the axis ofrotation of the cam 306. The cam 306 can rotatably couple to the frame304 via an axle that extends through the bore 306C (e.g., and thatcouples to the opposing walls 304A, 304B of the frame 304). The firstcam body 306A has a first groove 307A and the second cam body 306B has asecond groove 307B. The cable 308 can extend along at least a portion ofthe groove 307A of the first cam body 306A with the variable radius R1.Optionally, at least a portion of the cable 308 can extend along atleast a portion of the groove 307B of the second cam body 306B. In oneimplementation, the grooves 307A, 307B join at a transition between thefirst cam body 306A and the second cam body 306B.

Advantageously, the rate of change in the force of the spring 310 issubstantially equal to (e.g., equal to) the rate of change in the radiusR1 of the first cam body 306A. This results in a substantially equal orconstant torque, which facilitates the generally weightless movement ofthe control unit assembly 400 during a lifting or lower motion of theelevating linkage assembly 300.

As illustrated in FIGS. 8-10, the cylinder 312 and spring 310 extendgenerally vertically (e.g., along an axis that is parallel to an axis ofthe support pylon 305). In another implementation, the cylinder 312 andspring 310 can extend generally horizontally (e.g., extend generallyperpendicular to the axis of the support pylon 305). As shown in FIG. 9,the spring 310 can be disposed on a front side of the elevating linkageassembly 300. However, in other implementations the spring 310 andcylinder 312 can instead be on a side surface (or a rear surface) of theelevating linkage assembly, and the orientation of the cam 306 adjustedso that the cable 308 is fed from a surface (e.g., groove 307A) of thecam 306 into the cylinder 312.

As discussed above, the elevating linkage assembly 300 can have a brake318 to lock and unlock the position of the support pylon 305. In anotherimplementation, a motor (e.g., an electric motor) can additionally oralternatively be used. In one implementation, the motor can be usedinstead of the brake 318, where the motor actively moves the supportpylon 305 via the rack 316 and pinion 317 to raise and lower the controlunit assembly 400. In another implementation, the motor can supplementthe brake 318 (e.g., where the cam 306 instead has a constant radius,and the motor operates to supplement the brake 318 as the force of thespring 310 changes to maintain a substantially constant torque).

Control Unit Assembly

FIGS. 14-20 illustrate certain features of the control unit assembly 400for the robotic surgical system 1000. As discussed previously, one ormore tools can be removably mounted to and operable via the control unitassembly 400. The control unit assembly 400 can extend between a rearend R and a front end F and optionally have an outer skin 402. Thecontrol unit assembly 400 also can include a connector 408 that couplesto (e.g., removably couples to) the insertion device 108 through whichthe tools extend.

The control unit assembly 400 can have one or more user interfaces 404proximate the rear end R and one or more user interfaces 406 proximatethe front end F. In one implementation, the one or more user interfaces404 are a pair of interfaces at the front end F, and the one or moreuser interfaces 406 are a pair of interfaces at the rear end R.Optionally, the interfaces 404, 406 can be located at or near corners ofthe control unit assembly 400 (e.g., proximate handles of the controlunit assembly 400 that the operator can grab while engaging theinterfaces 404, 406). In one implementation, the one or more userinterfaces 404, 406 are actuatable to unlock one or more of the brakesdisclosed herein to allow movement of one or more portions of therobotic surgical system 1000 (e.g., one or more portions of the boomassembly BA, elevating linkage assembly 300 and/or control unit assembly400). In one implementation, the one or more user interfaces 404, 406can be depressible buttons. In another implementation, the one or moreuser interfaces 404, 406 can be tactile sensors (e.g., capacitancesensors). In still another implementation, the one or more userinterfaces 404, 406 can be movable (e.g., pivotable, slidable) levers.Further discussion of the user interfaces 404, 406 is provided below.

The control unit assembly 400 can include one or more of a chassis 410,a yaw control assembly 420, a pitch control assembly 440 and acounterbalance assembly 460. The counterbalance assembly 460 can includea pair of counterbalance assemblies 460A, 460B coupled to opposite sidesof the chassis 410.

With reference to FIGS. 18A-18C, the yaw control assembly 420 canoptionally include a mounting plate 422. The yaw control assembly 420can couple with the pitch control assembly 440 via one or more fasteners430B (e.g., bolts) that fasten the mounting plate 422 to the pitchcontrol assembly 440. A bearing 423 (e.g., tapered bearing) can sit on asurface 422A of the mounting plate 422, and a hub 424 can be disposed atleast partially above the bearing 423 so that the bearing 423 isinterposed between the hub 424 and the mounting plate 422. The hub 424can couple with a housing 425 at or proximate a distal end 425A of thehousing 425. Optionally, the hub 424 can at least partially extendthrough the housing 425 (e.g., protrude from the distal end 425A of thehousing 425). The mounting plate 422 optionally couples with the hub 423via one or more fasteners 430A (e.g., bolts).

The housing 425 can have an axle 426 that extends along the axis (e.g.,central axis, axis of symmetry) of the housing 425. A brake 427 (e.g.,an electromagnetic brake) can be at least partially housed in thehousing 425 and disposed about the axle 426. The brake 427 can have anannular (e.g., donut) shape. A cover or top 433 can be coupled with thehousing 425 at or proximate a proximal end 425A of the housing 425 withone or more fasteners 431 (e.g., bolts). The cover 433 can have anopenings 433A sized to receive a bearing (e.g., a tapered bearing) 428therein. At least a proximal portion 426A of the axle 426 can extendthrough the bearing 428, and a locking ring 429 can couple to theproximal portion 426A adjacent the bearing 248.

As shown in FIG. 18B-18C, the axle 426 can optionally have one or moreslots 426B that can at least partially receive one or more splines 426C.The shaft 426 can be coupled to a rotor 427A via a key-slot or splinedconnection in the hub 424 attached to the rotor 427A, and the brake 427can selectively brake the movement of the rotor 427A relative to astator 427B.

In operation, when the brake 427 is unlocked (e.g., electromagneticbrake is actuated via electrical connections 432 to allow movement ofone portion of the yaw control assembly 420 relative to another portionof the yaw control assembly 420), one or more of the plate 422, bearing423, hub 424 and axle 426 can rotate or pivot relative to a rest of theyaw control assembly 420. When the brake 427 is locked (e.g., when theelectromagnetic brake is turned off so that it locks in place), thebrake 427 can inhibit (e.g., prevent) movement of the rotor 427A,thereby preventing rotation of one or more of the axle 426, hub 424,bearing 423 and the mounting plate 422. Accordingly, the yaw controlassembly 420 can be operated to allow the adjustment (e.g., manualadjustment by an operator) of the orientation of the mounting plate 422relative to the axis Y3 of the axle 426 (and thereby the orientation ofthe control unit assembly 400 disposed below the mounting plate 422) toadjust the orientation of the control unit assembly 400 in a yawdirection.

With reference to FIGS. 19A-19C, the pitch control assembly 440 has ahousing 422 with a surface 423 that can couple with the mounting plate422 of the yaw control assembly 420 (e.g., via the one or more fasteners430B). Optionally, the housing 422 can be generally cylindrical inshape. A shaft 424 can extend between a proximal end 424A and a distalend 424B, where the proximal and distal ends 424A, 424B of the shaft 424can at least partially extend from opposite ends of the housing 422.Optionally, the shaft 424 can have one or more slots 424C at one or bothends 424A, 424B. The one or more slots 424C can have (e.g., can receivetherein) a corresponding spline 424D. Optionally, a pair of bearings426, 428 (e.g., tapered bearings) can be disposed in correspondingopenings 422A, 422B at or proximate opposite ends of the housing 422(e.g., so that the bearings 426, 428 do not protrude from the proximaland distal ends of the housing 422). The proximal and distal ends 424A,424B of the shaft 424 can extend through the bearings 426, 428.

Optionally, a pair of brakes 436, 446 (e.g., electromagnetic brakes) canbe disposed on opposite sides of the housing 422. Advantageously, thepair of brakes 436, 446 provides for increased stability and reduces awobbling motion of the pitch control assembly 440. In anotherimplementation, a single brake (e.g. an electromagnetic brake) caninstead be used and disposed along the shaft 424.

Optionally, a locking ring 438 can be disposed adjacent the bearing 426and couple (e.g., threadably couple) to a portion (e.g., threadedportion) 424E of the shaft 424. A pair of support brackets 430, 440 canattach (e.g., via fasteners) to opposite ends of the housing 422, atleast a flange portion of the brakes 436, 446 interposed between thebrackets 430, 440 and the opposite ends of the housing 422. A pair ofend plates 434, 444 can be disposed adjacent the brakes 436, 446, wherethe brackets 430, 440 extend over at least a portion of the end plates434, 444. The end plates 434, 444 can have openings 434A, 444A throughwhich the distal and proximal ends 424B, 424A of the shaft 424 at leastpartially extend. The openings 434A, 444A can have keyed slot 434B, 444Bthat can receive the spline 424D on the shaft 424, thereby fixedlycoupling the end plates 434, 444 to the shaft 424.

A pair of travel stop plates 432, 442 can attach to the end plates 434,444. The travel stop plates 432, 442 can limit the rotational travel ofthe pitch control assembly 440 by engaging the brackets 430, 440. In oneimplementation, the travel stop plates 432, 442 can limit rotationaltravel (e.g., in pitch) from a neutral (horizontal) position to betweenabout 10 degrees up and 50 degrees down. However, the attachment of thetravel stop plates 432, 442 on the end plates 434, 444 can be adjustedto provide a different range of travel.

The pitch control assembly 440 can couple to the chassis 410 of thecontrol unit assembly 400 via one or more fasteners (e.g. bolts) thatcouple one or more legs 434C, 444C of the end plates 434, 444 to thechassis 410. The pitch control assembly 440 can couple to the chassis410 substantially at a center location along the length of the controlunit assembly 400, as shown in FIG. 17. In operation, the end plates434, 444 can rotate relative to the housing 422 (e.g., relative to theyaw control assembly 420 attached to the housing 422) when the brakes436, 446 are unlocked (e.g., when the electromagnetic brakes 436, 446are actuated via electrical connections 436A, 446A to allow rotation ofone portion of the pitch control assembly 440 relative to anotherportion of the pitch control assembly 440). For example, when the brakes436, 446 are unlocked, rotor(s) 436B, 446B can rotate relative tostators 436C, 446C of the brakes 436, 446. When the brakes 436, 446 arelocked (e.g., when the electromagnetic brakes 436, 446 are turned off sothat they locks in place), the brakes 436, 446 can inhibit (e.g.,prevent) movement of the rotor(s) 436B, 446B relative to the stators436C, 446C, thereby preventing rotation of the shaft 424 and thereby theend plates 434, 444 relative to the housing 422.

Advantageously, the yaw control assembly 420 and pitch control assembly440 can auto lock upon a loss of power, as further discussed below.Therefore, the brake 427 in the yaw control assembly 420 and thebrake(s) 436, 446 in the pitch control assembly 440 are locked when theuser interfaces 404, 406 are disengaged or otherwise not engaged (and/orwhen there is no power, or loss of power), and unlock when the userinterfaces 404, 406 are engaged (and there is power provided to thebrakes). Additionally or alternatively, the pitch control assembly 440and/or yaw control assembly 420 are operable to lock and unlock when theone or more robotic tools are in a retracted position in the controlunit assembly 400, but lock (e.g., automatically lock) once the one ormore robotic tools are moved into the extended position relative to thecontrol unit assembly 400. In another implementation, one or more of thebrake 427 in the yaw control assembly 420 and the brake(s) 436, 446 inthe pitch control assembly 440 can instead be motor(s) (e.g., electricmotors) operable to effect the yaw and/or pitch movement.

As shown in FIGS. 15-17, the yaw control assembly 420 can be disposedabove the pitch control assembly 440, so that the pitch control assembly440 is disposed between the yaw control assembly 420 and the chassis410. In another implementation, the pitch control assembly 440 can bedisposed above the yaw control assembly 420. In still anotherimplementation, the yaw control assembly 420 and pitch control assembly440 can be combined and provided by a single unit. For example, the yawcontrol assembly 420 can pitch control assembly 440 can instead bereplaced by a ball joint or spherical joint assembly that can move in amultiaxial direction and can brake independently of any axis.

As discussed above, the control unit assembly 400 can include one ormore counter balance assemblies 460 (e.g., a pair of counterbalanceassemblies 460A, 460B). Though the following description is for onecounterbalance assembly 460, one of skill in the art will recognize thatit can also apply to the other counter balance assembly 460 (e.g., thecounter balance assemblies 460A, 460B are identical and mirror images ofeach other).

With reference to FIG. 20, the counter balance assembly 460 has a baseplate 462 that can be coupled to the chassis 410 (e.g., with one or morefasteners, such as screws), as shown in FIGS. 15-17. A pulley assembly464 with one or more pulleys 464A is coupled to the base plate 462. Aproximal stop cap 466 and a distal stop cap 468 can be attached to thebase plate 462, with one or more (e.g., a pair of) tubes 467A, 467Bextending between and interconnecting the stop caps 466, 468. One ormore (e.g., a pair of) springs 472A, 472B (e.g., coil springs) can bedisposed over the one or more tubes 467A, 467B. A shuttle member 470 canbe disposed over the springs 472A, 472B and tubes 467A, 467B and canengage at least a portion of the springs 472A, 472B. In oneimplementation, the shuttle member 470 can have a pair of openingsthrough which the tubes 467A, 467B can pass and inner wall portions(e.g., shoulders) that engage the springs 472A, 472B when the shuttlemember 470 is moved (e.g., slid along the tubes 467A, 467B) relative tothe springs 472A, 472B. In another implementation, a single spring canbe used instead of the pair of springs 472A, 472B, but the single springwould be longer.

A shaft 474 extends through an opening 470B in the shuttle member 470and locked relative to the shuttle member 470 (e.g., with a nut 476). Acable 478 can extend from an opposite end of the shaft 474 and wraparound the pulley 464A, extending to a proximal connector 480 (e.g., aneyelet connector). The proximal connector 480 (e.g., eyelet connector)can couple to the pitch control assembly 440 (e.g., can couple to thebracket 430, 440 of the pitch control assembly 440).

Advantageously, the counterbalance assembly 460 provides a counterbalance force for the rotation of the chassis 410 during a pitch motionof the control unit assembly 400 (e.g., via the pitch control assembly440). This advantageously contributes to the “weightlessness” of thecontrol unit assembly 400 that is experienced by the operator bycontrolling the pitching motion of the chassis 410. As the chassis 410pivots down, the springs 472A, 472B compress, and as the chassis 410pivots up, the springs 474A, 474B decompress. The center of mass of thechassis 410 is in the rear half of the unit (e.g., at or near ¾ of thelength of the chassis 410 from the front F).

In operation, the operator can actuate two user interfaces 404, 406 atthe same time (e.g., generally simultaneously) to unlock one or more of(e.g., all of) the boom assembly BA, elevating linkage assembly 300, yawcontrol assembly 420 and pitch control assembly 440, allowing theoperator to reposition the control unit assembly 400 in space (e.g.,adjust a yaw and/or pitch orientation, adjust a position in space in anx-y-z Cartesian coordinate system). Advantageously, engagement of twouser interfaces 404, 406 to unlock the position and/or orientation ofthe control unit assembly 400 allows the user to hold and/or grab thechassis 410 with both hands before the position and/or orientation isunlocked, increasing the operator's control of the control unit assembly400. Optionally, the position and/or orientation of the control unitassembly 400 (e.g., provided by the boom assembly BA, elevating linkageassembly 300, yaw control assembly 420 and pitch control assembly 440)is not unlocked if only one user interface 404 is engaged. Once thecontrol unit assembly has been repositioned to a desired location, theoperator can lock the control unit assembly 400 in the new position bydisengaging (e.g., releasing) one or both of the user interfaces 404,406.

ADDITIONAL EMBODIMENTS

In embodiments of the present invention, a robotic surgery system may bein accordance with any of the following clauses:

Clause 1. A robotic surgery system, comprising:

-   -   a control unit assembly configured to support and operate one or        more robotic tools; and    -   a mechanical arm assembly configured to movably support the        control unit assembly in space, the mechanical arm assembly        comprising        -   a pillar assembly extending along a first axis;        -   a boom assembly movably coupled to the pillar assembly and            extending generally perpendicular to the first axis, the            boom assembly comprising a proximal boom arm rotatably            coupled to the pillar assembly via a first joint and a            distal boom arm rotatably coupled to the proximal boom arm            via a second joint, one or more brakes arranged about one or            both of the first and second joints;        -   an elevating linkage assembly coupled to the distal boom arm            and extending along a second axis generally parallel to the            first axis, the elevating linkage assembly disposed above            and operatively coupled to the control unit assembly, the            elevating linkage assembly comprising a brake operable to            allow vertical movement of the control unit assembly            relative to the boom assembly in a substantially weightless            manner; and        -   a pitch and yaw assembly disposed between the control unit            assembly and the elevating linkage assembly and configured            to allow movement of the control unit assembly in one or            both of a pitch direction and a yaw direction, the pitch and            yaw assembly comprising one or more brakes operable to            substantially brake movement of the control unit assembly in            one or both of pitch and yaw,    -   wherein one or more of the brakes in the boom assembly,        elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yaw assembly are        actuatable between an unlocked position to allow an operator to        manually change one or both of a position and an orientation of        the control unit assembly in space and a locked position to fix        the position and orientation of the control unit assembly in        space.

Clause 2. The robotic surgery system of clause 1, wherein one or more ofthe brakes in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly and pitchand yaw assembly are electromagnetic brakes.

Clause 3. The robotic surgery system of any preceding clause, whereinthe control unit assembly comprises a plurality of user interfacesconfigured to unlock one or more of the brakes in the boom assembly,elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yaw assembly substantiallysimultaneously when engaged.

Clause 4. The robotic surgery system of any clause 3, wherein theplurality of user interfaces are depressible buttons.

Clause 5. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 3-4, wherein theplurality of user interfaces are tactile sensors.

Clause 6. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 3-5, wherein saidone or more of the brakes in the boom assembly, elevating linkageassembly and pitch and yaw assembly remain in a locked position whenfewer than two user interfaces of the plurality of user interfaces areengaged.

Clause 7. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 3-6, wherein saidplurality of user interfaces are located at or proximate corners of thecontrol unit assembly.

Clause 8. The robotic surgery system of any preceding clause, whereinthe pitch and yaw assembly comprises a yaw control assembly coupled to adistal end of the elevating linkage assembly and a pitch controlassembly coupled to a distal end of the yaw control assembly so that thepitch control assembly is interposed between the yaw control assemblyand a chassis of the control unit assembly.

Clause 9. The robotic surgery system of clause 8, wherein the pitchcontrol assembly extends along a third axis and the yaw control assemblyextends along a fourth axis, the third and fourth axes being generallyperpendicular to each other.

Clause 10. The robotic surgery system of any preceding clause, whereinthe elevating linkage assembly comprises a pylon configured to movelinearly relative to a frame of the elevating linkage assembly and acable that extends from the pylon, over a pulley and couples to acompressible spring, wherein the spring exerts a spring force thatsubstantially counteracts a force exerted on the pylon by the controlunit assembly to allow movement of the control unit assembly in saidsubstantially weightless manner.

Clause 11. The robotic surgery system of clause 10, wherein the pulleyhas a varying radius of curvature so that a rate of change of the springforce due to compression of the spring is substantially equal to a rateof change of the radius of the pulley such that the control unitassembly exerts substantially the same torque on the pulley duringvertical motion of the control unit assembly.

Clause 12. The robotic surgery system of any preceding clause, whereinthe control unit assembly comprises a counterbalance assembly comprisingone or more springs compressible by a slidable shuttle, the shuttlecoupled to a cable that extends over a pulley and couples to at least aportion of the pitch and yaw assembly, the cable configured to move theshuttle to compress the one or more springs during a pitch motion of thecontrol unit assembly to counterbalance a weight of the control unitassembly to allow a pitch movement of the control unit assembly in asubstantially weightless manner.

Clause 13. The robotic surgery system of any preceding clause, whereinone or more electrical cables are routed through the boom assembly andto the control unit assembly, at least a portion of the one or morecables routed via a bore in each of the first and second joints to allowrotation of the proximal and distal boom arms without entanglement ofthe one or more electrical cables.

Clause 14. The robotic surgery system of any preceding clause, whereinthe distal boom arm is longer than the proximal boom arm, allowing therotation of the distal boom arm over the proximal boom arm to move thecontrol unit assembly into a stowed position.

Clause 15. A robotic surgery system, comprising:

-   -   a control unit assembly configured to support and operate one or        more robotic tools; and    -   a mechanical arm assembly configured to movably support the        control unit assembly in space, the mechanical arm assembly        comprising        -   a boom assembly comprising one or more boom arms rotatably            coupled to each other via one or more joints, one or more            actuators arranged about the one or more joints and operable            to allow movement of the one or more boom arms;        -   an elevating linkage assembly coupled to the boom assembly            and extending along an axis generally perpendicular to the            boom assembly, the elevating linkage assembly disposed above            the control unit assembly and comprising an actuator            operable to allow movement of the control unit assembly            along the axis and relative to the boom assembly in a            substantially weightless manner;        -   a yaw control assembly disposed below the elevating linkage            assembly and above the control unit assembly, the yaw            control assembly comprising an actuator operable to allow            movement of the control unit assembly in a yaw direction;        -   a pitch control assembly disposed below the elevating            linkage assembly and above the control unit assembly, the            pitch control assembly comprising one or more actuators            operable to allow movement of the control unit assembly in a            pitch direction,    -   wherein one or more of the actuators in the boom assembly,        elevating linkage assembly, yaw control assembly and pitch        control assembly are actuatable to allow a change in one or both        of a position and an orientation of the control unit assembly in        space upon actuation of two or more user interfaces of the        control unit assembly and wherein one or more of the actuators        in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yaw control        assembly and pitch control assembly lock one or both of the        position and the orientation of the control unit assembly when        the user interfaces are not engaged.

Clause 16. The robotic surgery system of clause 15, wherein the one ormore actuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yawcontrol assembly and pitch control assembly are electromagnetic brakes.

Clause 17. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 15-16, whereinthe two or more user interfaces are depressible buttons.

Clause 18. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 15-17, whereinsaid actuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yawcontrol assembly and pitch control assembly lock one or both of theposition and the orientation of the control unit assembly when fewerthan two user interfaces are engaged.

Clause 19. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 15-18, whereinsaid two or more user interfaces are located at or proximate corners ofthe control unit assembly.

Clause 20. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 15-19, whereinthe yaw control assembly is coupled to the elevating linkage assemblyand the pitch control assembly is disposed below the yaw controlassembly and coupled to a chassis of the control unit assembly.

Clause 21. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 15-20, whereinthe elevating linkage assembly comprises a pylon configured to movelinearly relative to a frame of the elevating linkage assembly and acable that extends from the pylon, over a pulley and couples to acompressible spring, wherein the spring exerts a spring force thatsubstantially counteracts a force exerted on the pylon by the controlunit assembly to allow movement of the control unit assembly in saidsubstantially weightless manner.

Clause 22. The robotic surgery system of clause 21, wherein the pulleyhas a varying radius of curvature so that a rate of change of the springforce due to compression of the spring is substantially equal to a rateof change of the radius of the pulley such that the control unitassembly exerts substantially the same torque on the pulley duringvertical motion of the control unit assembly.

Clause 23. The robotic surgery system of any of clauses 15-22, whereinthe control unit assembly comprises a counterbalance assembly comprisingone or more springs compressible by a slidable shuttle, the shuttlecoupled to a cable that extends over a pulley and couples to at least aportion of the pitch control assembly, the cable configured to move theshuttle to compress the one or more springs during a pitch motion of thecontrol unit assembly to counterbalance a weight of the control unitassembly to allow a pitch movement of the control unit assembly in asubstantially weightless manner.

Other Variations

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that, in some embodiments,additional components and/or steps can be utilized, and disclosedcomponents and/or steps can be combined or omitted. For example,although some embodiments are described in connection with a roboticsurgery system, the disclosure is not so limited. Systems, devices, andmethods described herein can be applicable to medical procedures ingeneral, among other uses. As another example, certain components can beillustrated and/or described as being circular or cylindrical. In someimplementations, the components can be additionally or alternativelyinclude non-circular portions, such as portions having straight lines.As yet another example, any of the actuators described herein caninclude one or more motors, such as electrical motors. As yet anotherexample, in addition to or instead of controlling tilt and/or pan of acamera, roll (or spin) can be controlled. For example, one or moreactuators can be provided for controlling the spin.

The foregoing description details certain embodiments of the systems,devices, and methods disclosed herein. It will be appreciated, however,that no matter how detailed the foregoing appears in text, the systems,devices, and methods can be practiced in many ways. The use ofparticular terminology when describing certain features or aspects ofthe disclosure should not be taken to imply that the terminology isbeing redefined herein to be restricted to including any specificcharacteristics of the features or aspects of the technology with whichthat terminology is associated.

It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that variousmodifications and changes can be made without departing from the scopeof the described technology. Such modifications and changes are intendedto fall within the scope of the embodiments. It will also be appreciatedby those of skill in the art that parts included in one embodiment areinterchangeable with other embodiments; one or more parts from adepicted embodiment can be included with other depicted embodiments inany combination. For example, any of the various components describedherein and/or depicted in the figures can be combined, interchanged, orexcluded from other embodiments.

With respect to the use of substantially any plural and/or singularterms herein, those having skill in the art can translate from theplural to the singular and/or from the singular to the plural as isappropriate to the context and/or application. The varioussingular/plural permutations can be expressly set forth herein for sakeof clarity.

Directional terms used herein (for example, top, bottom, side, up, down,inward, outward, etc.) are generally used with reference to theorientation or perspective shown in the figures and are not intended tobe limiting. For example, positioning “above” described herein can referto positioning below or on one of sides. Thus, features described asbeing “above” may be included below, on one of sides, or the like.

It will be understood by those within the art that, in general, termsused herein are generally intended as “open” terms (for example, theterm “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limitedto,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” theterm “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limitedto,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art thatif a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, suchan intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence ofsuch recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid tounderstanding, the following appended claims can contain usage of theintroductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claimrecitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed toimply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinitearticles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing suchintroduced claim recitation to embodiments containing only one suchrecitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases“one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or“an” (for example, “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted tomean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the useof definite articles used to introduce claim recitations. In addition,even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation isexplicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that suchrecitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recitednumber (for example, the bare recitation of “two recitations,” withoutother modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two ormore recitations).

The term “comprising” as used herein is synonymous with “including,”“containing,” or “characterized by,” and is inclusive or open-ended anddoes not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps.

Conditional language, such as “can,” “could,” “might,” or “may,” unlessspecifically stated otherwise, or otherwise understood within thecontext as used, is generally intended to convey that certainembodiments include, while other embodiments do not include, certainfeatures, elements, and/or steps. Thus, such conditional language is notgenerally intended to imply that features, elements, and/or steps are inany way required for one or more embodiments or that one or moreembodiments necessarily include logic for deciding, with or without userinput or prompting, whether these features, elements, and/or steps areincluded or are to be performed in any particular embodiment.

Language of degree used herein, such as the terms “approximately,”“about,” “generally,” and “substantially” as used herein represent avalue, amount, or characteristic close to the stated value, amount, orcharacteristic that still performs a desired function and/or achieves adesired result. For example, the terms “approximately”, “about”,“generally,” and “substantially” may refer to an amount that is withinless than 10% of, within less than 5% of, within less than 1% of, withinless than 0.1% of, and/or within less than 0.01% of the stated amount.

It will be further understood by those within the art that anydisjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms,whether in the description, claims, or drawings, can be understood tocontemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either ofthe terms, or both terms. For example, the phrase “A or B” will beunderstood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”Further, the term “each,” as used herein, in addition to having itsordinary meaning, can mean any subset of a set of elements to which theterm “each” is applied.

Conjunctive language such as the phrase “at least one of X, Y, and Z,”unless specifically stated otherwise, is otherwise understood with thecontext as used in general to convey that an item, term, etc. may beeither X, Y, or Z. Thus, such conjunctive language is not generallyintended to imply that certain embodiments require the presence of atleast one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, andalgorithm steps described in connection with the embodiments disclosedherein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, orcombinations of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability ofhardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules,circuits, and steps have been described above generally in terms oftheir functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented ashardware or software depends upon the particular application and designconstraints imposed on the overall system. The described functionalitymay be implemented in varying ways for each particular application, butsuch implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing adeparture from the scope of the embodiments of the invention.

The various illustrative blocks, modules, and circuits described inconnection with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented orperformed with a general purpose processor, a Digital Signal Processor(DSP), an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC), a FieldProgrammable Gate Array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device,discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or anycombination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein.A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor may be any conventional processor,controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also beimplemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combinationof a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one ormore microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

The steps of a method or algorithm and functions described in connectionwith the embodiments disclosed herein may be embodied directly inhardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in acombination of the two. If implemented in software, the functions may bestored on or transmitted over as one or more instructions or code on atangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium. A software module mayreside in Random Access Memory (RAM), flash memory, Read Only Memory(ROM), Electrically Programmable ROM (EPROM), Electrically ErasableProgrammable ROM (EEPROM), registers, hard disk, a removable disk, a CDROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. A storagemedium is coupled to the processor such that the processor can readinformation from, and write information to, the storage medium. In thealternative, the storage medium may be integral to the processor. Diskand disc, as used herein, includes compact disc (CD), laser disc,optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray discwhere disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproducedata optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also beincluded within the scope of computer readable media. The processor andthe storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a userterminal. In the alternative, the processor and the storage medium mayreside as discrete components in a user terminal.

The above description discloses embodiments of systems, apparatuses,devices, methods, and materials of the present disclosure. Thisdisclosure is susceptible to modifications in the components, parts,elements, steps, and materials, as well as alterations in thefabrication methods and equipment. Such modifications will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of thisdisclosure or practice of the disclosure. Consequently, it is notintended that the disclosure be limited to the specific embodimentsdisclosed herein, but that it cover all modifications and alternativescoming within the scope and spirit of the subject matter embodied in thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A robotic surgery system, comprising: a control unit assembly configured to support and operate one or more robotic tools; and a mechanical arm assembly configured to movably support the control unit assembly in space, the mechanical arm assembly comprising a pillar assembly extending along a first axis; a boom assembly movably coupled to the pillar assembly and extending generally perpendicular to the first axis, the boom assembly comprising a proximal boom arm rotatably coupled to the pillar assembly via a first joint and a distal boom arm rotatably coupled to the proximal boom arm via a second joint, one or more brakes arranged about one or both of the first and second joints; an elevating linkage assembly coupled to the distal boom arm and extending along a second axis generally parallel to the first axis, the elevating linkage assembly disposed above and operatively coupled to the control unit assembly, the elevating linkage assembly comprising a brake operable to allow vertical movement of the control unit assembly relative to the boom assembly in a substantially weightless manner; and a pitch and yaw assembly disposed between the control unit assembly and the elevating linkage assembly and configured to allow movement of the control unit assembly in one or both of a pitch direction and a yaw direction, the pitch and yaw assembly comprising one or more brakes operable to substantially brake movement of the control unit assembly in one or both of pitch and yaw, wherein one or more of the brakes in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yaw assembly are actuatable between an unlocked position to allow an operator to manually change one or both of a position and an orientation of the control unit assembly in space and a locked position to fix the position and orientation of the control unit assembly in space.
 2. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein one or more of the brakes in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yaw assembly are electromagnetic brakes.
 3. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the control unit assembly comprises a plurality of user interfaces configured to unlock one or more of the brakes in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yaw assembly substantially simultaneously when engaged.
 4. The robotic surgery system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of user interfaces are depressible buttons.
 5. The robotic surgery system of claim 3, wherein the plurality of user interfaces are tactile sensors.
 6. The robotic surgery system of claim 3, wherein said one or more of the brakes in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly and pitch and yaw assembly remain in a locked position when fewer than two user interfaces of the plurality of user interfaces are engaged.
 7. The robotic surgery system of claim 3, wherein said plurality of user interfaces are located at or proximate corners of the control unit assembly.
 8. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the pitch and yaw assembly comprises a yaw control assembly coupled to a distal end of the elevating linkage assembly and a pitch control assembly coupled to a distal end of the yaw control assembly so that the pitch control assembly is interposed between the yaw control assembly and a chassis of the control unit assembly.
 9. The robotic surgery system of claim 8, wherein the pitch control assembly extends along a third axis and the yaw control assembly extends along a fourth axis, the third and fourth axes being generally perpendicular to each other.
 10. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the elevating linkage assembly comprises a pylon configured to move linearly relative to a frame of the elevating linkage assembly and a cable that extends from the pylon, over a pulley and couples to a compressible spring, wherein the spring exerts a spring force that substantially counteracts a force exerted on the pylon by the control unit assembly to allow movement of the control unit assembly in said substantially weightless manner.
 11. The robotic surgery system of claim 10, wherein the pulley has a varying radius of curvature so that a rate of change of the spring force due to compression of the spring is substantially equal to a rate of change of the radius of the pulley such that the control unit assembly exerts substantially the same torque on the pulley during vertical motion of the control unit assembly.
 12. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the control unit assembly comprises a counterbalance assembly comprising one or more springs compressible by a slidable shuttle, the shuttle coupled to a cable that extends over a pulley and couples to at least a portion of the pitch and yaw assembly, the cable configured to move the shuttle to compress the one or more springs during a pitch motion of the control unit assembly to counterbalance a weight of the control unit assembly to allow a pitch movement of the control unit assembly in a substantially weightless manner.
 13. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein one or more electrical cables are routed through the boom assembly and to the control unit assembly, at least a portion of the one or more cables routed via a bore in each of the first and second joints to allow rotation of the proximal and distal boom arms without entanglement of the one or more electrical cables.
 14. The robotic surgery system of claim 1, wherein the distal boom arm is longer than the proximal boom arm, allowing the rotation of the distal boom arm over the proximal boom arm to move the control unit assembly into a stowed position.
 15. A robotic surgery system, comprising: a control unit assembly configured to support and operate one or more robotic tools; and a mechanical arm assembly configured to movably support the control unit assembly in space, the mechanical arm assembly comprising a boom assembly comprising one or more boom arms rotatably coupled to each other via one or more joints, one or more actuators arranged about the one or more joints and operable to allow movement of the one or more boom arms; an elevating linkage assembly coupled to the boom assembly and extending along an axis generally perpendicular to the boom assembly, the elevating linkage assembly disposed above the control unit assembly and comprising an actuator operable to allow movement of the control unit assembly along the axis and relative to the boom assembly in a substantially weightless manner; a yaw control assembly disposed below the elevating linkage assembly and above the control unit assembly, the yaw control assembly comprising an actuator operable to allow movement of the control unit assembly in a yaw direction; a pitch control assembly disposed below the elevating linkage assembly and above the control unit assembly, the pitch control assembly comprising one or more actuators operable to allow movement of the control unit assembly in a pitch direction, wherein one or more of the actuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yaw control assembly and pitch control assembly are actuatable to allow a change in one or both of a position and an orientation of the control unit assembly in space upon actuation of two or more user interfaces of the control unit assembly and wherein one or more of the actuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yaw control assembly and pitch control assembly lock one or both of the position and the orientation of the control unit assembly when the user interfaces are not engaged.
 16. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the one or more actuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yaw control assembly and pitch control assembly are electromagnetic brakes.
 17. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the two or more user interfaces are depressible buttons.
 18. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein said actuators in the boom assembly, elevating linkage assembly, yaw control assembly and pitch control assembly lock one or both of the position and the orientation of the control unit assembly when fewer than two user interfaces are engaged.
 19. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein said two or more user interfaces are located at or proximate corners of the control unit assembly.
 20. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the yaw control assembly is coupled to the elevating linkage assembly and the pitch control assembly is disposed below the yaw control assembly and coupled to a chassis of the control unit assembly.
 21. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the elevating linkage assembly comprises a pylon configured to move linearly relative to a frame of the elevating linkage assembly and a cable that extends from the pylon, over a pulley and couples to a compressible spring, wherein the spring exerts a spring force that substantially counteracts a force exerted on the pylon by the control unit assembly to allow movement of the control unit assembly in said substantially weightless manner.
 22. The robotic surgery system of claim 21, wherein the pulley has a varying radius of curvature so that a rate of change of the spring force due to compression of the spring is substantially equal to a rate of change of the radius of the pulley such that the control unit assembly exerts substantially the same torque on the pulley during vertical motion of the control unit assembly.
 23. The robotic surgery system of claim 15, wherein the control unit assembly comprises a counterbalance assembly comprising one or more springs compressible by a slidable shuttle, the shuttle coupled to a cable that extends over a pulley and couples to at least a portion of the pitch control assembly, the cable configured to move the shuttle to compress the one or more springs during a pitch motion of the control unit assembly to counterbalance a weight of the control unit assembly to allow a pitch movement of the control unit assembly in a substantially weightless manner. 